The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 1 - Bills-Rams, OBJ, Mayfield

Episode Date: September 9, 2022

The Bills dominated the Rams last night Things the Rams should be worried about going forward Odell Beckham Jr. won a lot of money last night Baker Mayfield has a problem connecting with people   Guest: Peter KingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians,

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Here we go. It is a Friday. We are live in Los Angeles, and it's the herd. Wherever you may be, and however, you may be listening. I-Heart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, FS1, Blazing 5 first of the year, as always. Love all the picks. Well, four or five. in one hour from now.

Terry Bradshaw later in the show, J. Mack, joining us. Well, everybody in the media, including myself, there's kind of this belief it's Buffalo's year. That said, we thought Sean McBay, he'll be great in the opener. It was really apparent really quickly last night that Buffalo, after that heartbreaking loss to Kansas City is going full steam ahead. They grabbed momentum early in the game,

and never looked back. Colin, breaking news, Matthew Stafford just sacked again by the Buffalo defensive line. Seven times last night? Incredible. You were banging on the Rams offensive line. Yeah. So a lot of what we saw last night was it was predictable.

Josh Allen's ridiculously talented. Vaughn Miller's a great edge rusher. Aaron Donald throws people around like toys. And Cooper Cup is always open. And let's be honest about Buffalo. 11 blowout wins last year. 11 wins last year. All their wins were blowout wins. This is what they do. I didn't think they do it last night, but this is what they do. They are an avalanche of talent, the deepest defensive front in the league, great linebackers, great safety, seven, eight different defensive linemen. Add Vaughn Miller to that. Yikes.

Eleven blowout wins. Also, we saw Matt Stafford be streaky. This happens all the time. Last year, he got blown out at home by Arizona. He got blown out. last year at home by Tennessee. He got blown out last night at home again by Buffalo. Matt Stafford is streaky. So a lot of this stuff we've seen before. But here's what's always more interesting. The stuff you can't explain. Cam Acres, no yards, three carries. I know he was banged up in camp and he was hurt last year, but he did play in the playoffs where he had two really ugly, punitive, nearly fatal fumbles. Is he in the doghouse? he was invisible. That is hard to explain. Alan Robinson, 30 million guaranteed, number two wide receiver, targeted twice.

Again, not even targeted. Barely saw him on the field, rarely in motion. Hard to explain. Some of you may wonder this morning, what about Matt Stafford's arm? Now, I heard it wasn't that big of a deal, but all the throws were underneath. It was a very safe conservative game plan. Heavy on short passes. Is it Matt Stafford's arm?

I don't think it is. What I think it is is Sean McVeigh is a really smart offensive coach. He gets offense. He knows his left tackle, Andrew Whitworth, his replacement is capable and that's all. And we'd be going up against the Hall of Famer and Von Miller. Their left guard, their right guard are really, really average. They have a nice center and a really good right tackle. But Andrew Wetworth out, Sean McVey knowing OBJ is not healthy so they don't have any juice down the field.

2-2-atwell maybe one of less needs only busts so far in the last three or four years of drafting. They got no juice down the field, so they relied on underneath stuff and the offensive line. Even with that could not predict. There's a lot of things here you can solve if you're the Rams. all right. Cam Acres is going to get more than three carries. And maybe he wasn't healthy. Alan Robinson, my guess is Stafford missed some camp. Robinson's a new guy.

They haven't jelled yet. My guess is two targets is one of his lowest outputs of the season. And Stafford again will have really good days. He had four or five games last year. He was awful. He led the NFL in picks last year. his career has been streaky. Last night he was bad, especially late.

But the one thing I don't think you can correct, and it's kind of one of those you got to deal with issues. Their offensive line, without Andrew Whitworth, it's just not going to be as good. The bill's got seven sacks, none from a blitz. And the Rams weren't looking deep downfield last night. OBJ is not healthy. They don't have deep juice, deep energy. deep receiver on the roster.

Cooper Cup occasionally goes deep, but most of his stuff is 16 yards and in. Seven sacks without blitzes on a night, a conservative game plan. So that's a concern, and I'm not sure it's correctable. The teams with good left tackles aren't going to give them to you halfway through the season. So again, some of this stuff, Acres, streakiness, Stafford, Alan Robinson, I don't worry much about it. It's the NFL. It's not college football. it's not Alabama.

Everybody can punch you right in the mouth. But that old line, the domination physically Buffalo put on the Rams, Sean Maveh talked afterwards. It was a very humbling night, but one that, you know, hey, you got to be able to look yourself in the mirror, say, I got to be better within the framework of my role. That's exactly what I'm going to do. That's what I know our coaches are going to do.

That's what our players are going to do. We weren't ready to go. I take a lot of pride in that, and that's on me. I got to do better. There was a lot of decisions that I made that. I felt like didn't put our players in good enough spots. This was a humbling experience, but we're going to stay connected. My favorite player when I was younger to watch in the NFL was John Elway.

John Elway was the most talented quarterback. He'd been drafted, I think, by the Yankees, baseball, athletic family, and he was the best quarterback. So he was both. He was the most talented and he was the best. But most of my life, that has not been true. Joe Montana was talented, but he wasn't the most talented quarterback, but he was the best. And Tom Brady last 20 years has not been the most talented quarterback, but he's the best. I don't think Josh Allen is the best quarterback in the league.

I think he's the most talented. I know, I know Aaron Rogers, Patrick Mahomes. He is significantly bigger, significantly stronger, significantly more athletic than both. go look at his rushing numbers against Mahomes, not even close. He runs, jumps over people. Do you see his stiff arm last night? No other quarterback in the league doing that. He is Janus.

He is one of one on earth. He's Tyson and Foreman in his prime. He's got the best knockout punch, sometimes forgets to use the jab. A jaw-dropping talent. Cam was not this physical, nor this refined as a thrower. Big Ben, it's insult. to compare Big Ben's athletic ability to Josh Allen. It ain't close.

But with that talent comes confidence. Used to see that with the Brett Farr of Namath. When somebody is so gifted and so great, the late Kobe Bryant, he'd take shots, coaches would scream, and Kobe swears he was going to make all of them. And you're going to have to deal with that with Josh Allen. Since he has been in the National Football League, I looked it up this morning.

He's top five in total touchdowns and top five in giveaways. And I think the bills are going to win multiple Super Bowl with him, with him. And I think he's going to drive fans nuts and make a few of those far throws. And that's just the reality of being that great. He is a jaw-dropping one of one. There's little bits of cam and little bits of Lway and little bits of Big Ben. And, you know, when I hear people talking about Janus, Janus was the most talented guy in the league four years ago.

But, you know, he had to develop a shot. His ball handling's gotten better. It's got a little more range. Now he's the best player in the league. And maybe Josh Allen, this is the year. He'll be the best quarterback in the league. But last year, his passer rating last year was lower than Carson Wentz. His passer rating last year was lower than Mack Jones.

His completion percentage isn't great. He makes a lot of mistakes. But man, when you get former or Tyson in their prime, when you get one of these one-of-one athletes, you just deal with it. You don't meddle. You don't micromanage. You kind of try to keep him in the fairway as much as you can. He made some big mistakes early, actually kept the Rams in the game.

But that stiff arm right there, Josh Allen talked about that after. Just trying to make a play for the team. Just doing what I can do to try to get first down. That's it. you know, guys appreciate that. You know, I play hard. I want to win games no matter how I can do it. That's just, I guess, an example of, you know, what I'm willing to do to win a game and just try to get a first down

and allow us to keep moving the ball. So, you know, it's just all in the heat of the moment. And, you know, I think guys appreciate that. I was looking, you know, kind of looking through the Internet last couple of days, what everybody thinks going to win the Super Bowl. And Buffalo was picked by virtually 85% of the media, percent of the media. And so, you know, people are like, oh, way to be creative. I think last night, and at the end of last year, you know, this sort of tsunami, this wave of talent and depth.

I mean, they're front line defensively. They got like eight guys they rotate. And they've added Vaughn Miller to that. And their young defensive lineman, now we're a year older. So maybe it's just, it's a bad matchup for the Rams. Like this is the one team in week one with a new left tackle. You didn't want to face. You could make that argument. But I think what you saw was, with Buffalo is what 80, 85, 90% of the people who predict Super Bowls, that's what you see. They did not win a single close game last night. And at halftime, weren't you thinking when I was thinking, Buffalo's so much better. How's this thing tied?

How in the world is this game tied? It's not even close. And then the floodgates open. So they're a fun watch. They are. They're flawed. They make mistakes, but they are eye candy. There is their Kansas City a couple years ago.

Kansas City would fall behind 24-0-0-0 in a playoff game at home and come roaring back. They're imperfect, they're vulnerable, but they're, when they get rolling downhill, just step aside. Rams found that out. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.

Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

Yep, that's me. Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skisks. hits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we picket here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill,

waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you're just so you're not. But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed, correct.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host. and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience

in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize

that we are in possession of the thing and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. So the two big winners last night, number one, the Buffalo Bills, number two, OBJ.

So the L.A. Rams have drafted very, very well since they came to L.A. Nobody hits all your draft picks. It just doesn't happen. But the Rams have drafted really, really well. But they may have a bust on their hands a couple years ago with their number two pick. They give up their number one picks, right? They've been doing this for years. With their first pick a couple years ago, they took a receiver, a tiny guy, 170 pounds, 2-2-at-well. speed guy because the feeling was Robert Woods, Tyler Higby, Cooper Cup, Van Jefferson. They're really capable receivers. Cup is great, but they're not deep threats and everybody wants juice.

That's why Sammy Watkins, who can't stay healthy, keeps finding teams. It's why Brandon Cooks keeps finding teams. Really elite speed is rare and offensive coaches love it, forcing you to open up the field and chase a receiver even if it's a decoy down the field. So the Rams went out and drafted this kid, and it hasn't worked. He's too small. He's too inconsistent. He's fast and not much else.

One ball thrown to him last night couldn't handle it. So that's why they went out and got OBJ. And OBJ isn't your classic just run down the field like a Randy Moss sometimes, but he's got juice and speed. You can give him bubble screens and underneath routes. And he can be very, very hard to defend. He's a tough matchup. And the Super Bowl against Cincinnati in the first half before he got hurt.

He was a tough matchup for the best. He was a tough matchup in the playoffs, and he just arrived in Los Angeles, and that's when they want and got him. He gives you juice. So I like Ellen Robinson, Cooper Cup, Van Jefferson, Ben Skoronic, Tyler Higby. But they're not like elite speed guys. And when Odell is healthy, he just looks different. Go ask Cincinnati in that first half.

So once you combine OBJ's injury with the number two pick a couple of years ago that's too small and too inconsistent and just can't get into the rotation. OBJ, they got about $7.5 million of cap space. And I'm watching that game last night. My takeaway is, boy, that was good for OBJ. That was a really, sometimes, somebody told me this years ago, it's good to take a day off at work to show your value. Like, OBJ was more valuable, not playing.

But on the sideline so you could see him, you had a memory of what he was. He was top of mind. Oh, there's OBJ. Boy, we could, you really, but you started noticing in that game, second half, they weren't even looking downfield. They had nobody that could bus free, nobody that could get past people. And even the threat of that, if it's not real, the threat, the decoy, the fake jet suite with OBJ, keeps everybody on their toes, makes you a little more reluctant, which, by the way,

last night, you could sense in the second half, Buffalo was running downhill. They knew nobody was going to beat them over the top with their side. safeties. So they went from aggressive in the first half to hyper-aggressive, pinning their ears back, leading in the second half, and if you're not going to get burned deep, why not? So I thought, OBJ made himself some money last night. Jay Mack with the news. No, no, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Don't know if you saw this right before the show, the Ravens announced, Colin, that they did not reach an agreement with Lamar Jackson on a contract extension.

and GM Eric DeCosta said in a statement the team appreciates how Lamar handled the process this offseason excited about him leading the team in 2022. They will resume contract talks after the season is over. Various reporters saying that the Ravens made a generous offer. We have not seen numbers yet, Colin. This cannot be good for somebody, right? The Ravens or Lamar Jackson? Well, he's betting on himself, and I've seen quarterbacks do this their entire life.

So I'm a big believer in people who bet on themselves. I'm in any business. So he's basically saying, I'm going to play great, and you're going to owe me a lot more in 17 weeks to 20 weeks than you're going to owe me now. And I think we both believe that division is Ravens Bingles. I think, you know, Deshawn Watson's out until Thanksgiving around there. The Steelers don't have an elite quarterback. So, I mean, you and I kind of believe it's a Ravens Bingles division.

Ravens have the easier schedule. So let's be honest, if they win the division, Ravens did this before with Joe Flacco, right? Joe Flacco betted himself and the Raven said, we're not going to pay you early, and it burned him. So he's got a little momentum, historic momentum in his favor, but I think they're going to pay him. I've said this before.

I would pay Lamar Jackson earlier than I would later. Because I think in this, especially the risk Baltimore is doing is, with no Deshaun Watson, it's going to be a circus in Cleveland, and this may be the one year that the Steelers are kind of unsettled at quarterback. By next year, Kenny Pickett could have 7, 8, 9, 10 starts for him. So it's a risk by the Ravens. I would pay it. I would get it done because I think Lamar's going to have a good year.

You're going to look up in the AFC with all these quarterbacks and you don't have one? So next summer two quarterbacks are eligible to be paid early, Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert. I'd pay both. Well, that's the thing. Like Lamar's going to say, well, what do you pay in this? these guys. I've got an MVP. How many MvPs for Justin Herbert? How many for Joe Burrow? I think Lamar Jackson's going to win this. I would pay him early because I think what's going to happen is Baltimore and Cincinnati and I think Cincinnati's better, but I think Baltimore's got a

better schedule. If Baltimore wins this division and wins a singular playoff game, in the AFC now with eight great quarterbacks, you have no choice but to pay him. You're going to pay a lot more than than now. So I think Lamar, in this instance, It's pretty clever. He's saying, okay, I'll give you to the season. So he puts a little heat on him. Right. But then let's play the season.

And you're going to see very quickly in the NFL how valuable once again Lamar Jackson is. And if they opt for the franchise tag, Colin. I saw one report. The franchise tag next year for Lamar would be 45.1 million. Absolutely. Going to be difficult to build a roster where the quarterback's making 45 mil. Next up, Joe Burrow led the Bengals to the Super Bowl last season. It fell just short, thrilling fourth quarter at the Super Bowl.

But he's hoping that they can be more consistent and end the year on a high note. Here's what Joe Burroughs said. I don't think any of us were satisfied with how last year ended, let alone how it started. We weren't great at the beginning of last year. We need to be more consistent throughout the year and win games we're supposed to. Colin, I've banged this a lot. They were underdogs in 15 games last year. It's now flipped.

They are favorites in, I believe, 14 of 17 games, including this week, a big favorite. Okay. So they have absolutely and significant. upgraded the biggest flaw. Guard, center, guard, or guard, guard. So they are a better football team. They also have now invaluable playoff experience. Also, last year, Burrow was coming off a debilitating injury.

So, you know, Burrow now has the confidence. The roster has the confidence. I thought they had, again, a very, very strong draft. They fixed their primary weakness. They are a better football team this year. So I, now, their schedule is the first place, you know, they have a tough schedule. So that part goes without saying. So, Colin, let me ask you this.

So I watched the Rams last night and I saw a stat that the bills did not blitz once. And they destroyed the Rams offensive line, which in theory, all the reporters said, listen, it's going to be fine. I keep hearing about the Bengals offensive line is upgraded. They've played zero snaps with Joe Burrow because he was injured in the preseason. They're facing T.J. Watton Company in the opener. I just worry that maybe we're overrating this rebuilt offensive line. Can I say this? Blazing fives in 35 minutes. I do think Pittsburgh is going to keep it very close against Cincinnati.

The idea of Mike Tomlin as a road underdog, by the way, Tomlin can drive you crazy playing down to his competition. But is he not the best coach in the league as a road dog in division? When you tell Tomlin he can't win, he's a great motivator. And so, you know, if Cincinnati struggles this weekend, this isn't, I talked to Peyton Manning the other day and he said this. It was really, I never heard anybody say this. He said, listen, there's various speeds in the NFL. There's regular season speed. There's playoff speed.

And there's division game speed. He goes, when you play division games, they are faster than all your other regular season games. So this weekend, Cincinnati will struggle at times with protection because the Steelers and the Bengals, they know each other's personnel. You don't fool anybody, and one team goes on a touchdown underdog Pittsburgh. They're going to play with their hair on fire. Yeah, I love that game. Rapping up, Colin, Russell Wilson headed back to Seattle Monday night. I'm sure we're going to do a lot on this on Monday's show.

He spent 10 years with the Seahawks. He could be met with cheers or booze from the crowd. Pete Carroll is leaving that decision up to the fans. Here's what Pete Carroll said. You either competing or you're not. I'm leaving up to the 12s. And, you know, it's game time. And we're going for it.

And so however they take it, I'll follow their lead on that. I mean, I'm not going to be involved with that kind of opportunity to react, you know. So I don't have to make that decision. I will see what happens. But I'm leaving up to the 12s. I think they'll know exactly what to do. They're going to cheer. Come on.

There's no chance they're booing Russell Wilson. Seattle is a little, its history is a little passive aggressive. If Seattle doesn't like you, they wouldn't confront you. They're not Philadelphia. People in Seattle, you know, it's not Boston fences build our great neighbors. It's not Philadelphia confrontational. Seattle's nice and pleasant. They're up there in the Northwest.

They'll smile. So you're not going to get booze. You may get some people that don't cheer, but having grown up, it's not a big boo city, especially for people that have been good to them. Ken Griffey leaves. I think people in Seattle appreciated

what Ken Griffey provided for them. Listen, I have only spent a week in Seattle. This is not meant as a dig in any way, shape, or form. But I've heard Seattle is the kind of city where they're like, I need to talk to your manager, please. Like summing up the city, they're that kind of pushback. Would you say that's accurate, maybe? I don't know.

I think I just, in the northwest, it's not overly hostile. Right, not hostile, but like, I need to talk to your manager, please. Well, again, you spent more time there than I have. I think it's a bit of a meme on the internet. But we'll see. I'm with you. I think there'll be a lot of cheers. Yeah, I think it'll be cheers or nonchalance and indifference.

It's not a booze. city. I mean, good God. For 10 years, what did they get to playoff? Nine times. Maybe they should boo the GM if he's in asking the stadium. Snyder. Hey, get it together, buddy. J. Mack with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by.

The Hurd-Lie News. Listen, I'm not going to talk a ton about Baker-Mayfield this year. The opening game's interesting. Baker's now in Carolina, and they play Cleveland. And that'll be one of my blazing five picks. So it's interesting. It would not be very interesting. If Sam Darnold was playing Cleveland,

it's a hard game to watch. Baker makes it fun. And he does have a history of channeling his emotion for these individual revenge games, and he's pretty good. But this is an interesting story. And this kind of goes to the heart. Because I was right on Baker.

Most of you were wrong. It's okay. Don't need to remind you every week, but whatever. So Miles Garrett, I've said this before. I think Miles Garrett, by the end of this season, will be regarded as the best defensive player in the league. I think he's an unbelievable talent. He just gets better.

and better and better. Aaron Donald's been that for the last eight, nine, ten years. I think Miles Garrett will take that over this year. Aaron Donald will be second. But, uh, Baker Mayfield apparently sent him, um, Baker Mayfield sent him a text when he left Cleveland. He said he appreciated the time we got to spend together and getting to know each other

and growing together. I read the text, but, uh, you know, there were some disagreements we had at a base level. I'm not mad at the guy or, you know, anyway, but I just didn't know how to reply. to that thing with Baker, so I didn't reply to him. And that is at the heart of my issue with Baker-Mayfield. And I know what you're saying right now. It's not Baker's fault. Yeah, yeah, it is.

Did Tom Brady ever not get along with his best teammate? Did Peyton Manning, Troy Aikman, Joe Montana ever not get along with their best teammate? Listen, it's one thing if you're a star quarterback or a quarterback, and you don't get along with a scout team safety or like a backup to a backup tight end. You know, somebody that's a little cockier than they should. They should be, you know, a little more respectful for your position. But he didn't get along with OBJ, Baker didn't.

He didn't get along with Miles Garrett. And Nick Chubb took a shot at him two days ago. He also struggled to get along with three coaches, Hugh Jackson, Freddie Kitchens, and Kevin Stefanski. point fanboys, is Baker culpable for any of it or is it always somebody else's fault? It's your job as a quarterback to do things beyond throw a football. That's what dumb guys think quarterback is. A lot of fans are like, good arm.

It's not what it's all about. You are the face of the franchise. You have to be a unifier, a lubricator, not an agitator. Three different coaches in Cleveland he couldn't get along with. squabbled with Miles Garrett, fought with OBJ. Nick Chubb said the other day, I don't know what to expect to him because it's Baker Mayfield.

Nobody knows what to expect. You got to make friends with the most talented people in every workforce. Ooh, brown-nosing, whatever it's called. You're the quarterback. Get along, especially with the other stars. Matt Stafford was with the Rams 45 minutes. He and Cooper Cup. Aaron Donald, he and Jalen Ramsey are tight. It's what you do. Brady goes out of his way to introduce

himself to every rookie on the team. He'll walk up and say, hi, I'm Tom Brady. Of course, they know it's Tom Brady. It's about Brady defusing the situation, not feeling, making the young rookie not be intimidated, going down to his level. Hi, I'm Tom Brady. Nice to meet you. It's part of the gamesmanship of being a star quarterback. And so, you know, this is at the heart of my Baker issue. It's always been. He's just can't get out of his own way. I said this yesterday.

We've all had friends, and you've got to just accept people for what they are. But the fact that he and Miles Garrett, he and OBJ, he and three coaches. Now, again, I've always said he is a franchise quarterback. I would never have drafted him. He is a franchise quarterback. I think he's very talented. I think he's one of the 23 most talented quarterbacks in the NFL right now. that may not happen after another draft class but he's there now but the fact that miles garrett

obj nick chub there was a running back he fought with three different coaches it can't be that hard and i know a lot of you just think out there that being a quarterback is just all about can you throw the ball down the field it's not the reason mahomes gets the money the reason borough will the reason russell wilson does and the reason eventually lamar will. You don't have to get along with everybody. I mean, you're not going to be in a room with 80 people and get along with everybody, but sometimes you have to at least avoid agitation, you know, suck up, fall on the sword. Eli Manning did not have a lot of enemies in locker rooms. I mean, you hear sometimes some of the Seahawks don't love Russell Wilson, but when you talk to

Russell, it's all good. He's on social media, saying nice stuff, elevating, loved you, go get the money. Miles Garrett, OBJ, Nick Chubb, Hugh Jackson, Freddie Kitchens, Kevin Stefansky, agitating constantly. It's not that hard. Get out of your own way. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, this is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my podcast, Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical sports pod pushing the same tired narratives down your throat every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all the biggest sports headlines, accurate stats to help you win big at the sports book, and all the best guests. Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from Bats, basketball to college football or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed cracks. I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Now you're finishing that sentence.

Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month,

I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing

and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, Our Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now.

NFL Kickoff Week, sponsored by Las Vegas. You're home for all live sports. every game match, race competition. It is always on Las Vegas. Football Morning in America, Peter King, NBC Sports.com joins us live. Well, I had the bills winning the Super Bowl. I didn't think they'd do that last night. The Rams O' line looked completely overwhelmed.

They missed Andrew Whitworth. What was your big wrap-a-bowl around last night? What jumped out to you in that avalanche in the second half? I think two things. number one, it's going to be hard to block all of the edge players that the Buffalo Bills have. Last night, A.J. Epinessa, Gregory Russo, Boogie Basham, and obviously Von Miller, they were all impact players last night. Yeah.

Combined for, I think, five and a half sacks and interception, eight pressures. It's just, it's going to be hard to play against them. because their pass rushers come in waves. Yeah. You know, there's a lot of different contenders this year that are compelling. I'll get to Denver in a second. You know, I said this a second to go to J-MAC. Baltimore is interesting.

I think they're taking a huge gamble here, not signing Lamar Jackson. Because I think the Steelers have questions at quarterback. So does Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Cleveland? So I think Baltimore is going to battle for the championship in that division. And I think they're going to be a playoff team. And I think Lamar Jackson at the end of the year is going to be able to demand whatever he wants. Because Burrow and Herbert's contracts, they may get signed early. Do you think the Lamar contract thing hangs over the organization?

I think he's betting on himself. And I think Lamar is going to win, just like Flacco beat the Ravens on that. What do you make of them in that contract? Well, a decade ago, Flacco said, I am going to bet on myself. He won. I believe that if the Baltimore Ravens do not sign Lamar Jackson this year. And I sort of roll my eyes when I hear, oh, yeah, no more negotiating until the offseason. Maybe.

We'll see. But I roll my eyes at that a little bit. But the one thing I would say is that to me, I don't think it's bad to have a, Uber motivated quarterback. Yeah. Because look, if he wins the Super Bowl, isn't that then worth it paying him 60 million 80% guaranteed a year? You know, to me, if you win the Super Bowl, it's worth it.

So I don't know. None of us know exactly why it didn't get done. You've got to figure that Lamar wanted a big part of this game. guaranteed and the Ravens just said, we're not doing that because it is very clear, Colin, that the Deshaun Watson contract is an outlier. The other four huge quarterback contracts this year so far, total guarantee, average guarantee in those four contracts, 47%. Yeah.

Why would the Ravens then go out and say, we're guaranteeing Lamar Jackson's contract? It's just not good business. No, I said this the other day. Nobody in Major League Baseball watches the Mariners and says, okay, that's the market. Nobody should watch the Cleveland Browns desperate and poorly run for 30 years and go, okay, they dictate terms. They're a desperate football team that overpaid and over-guaranteed. Now, there's two issues that really fascinate me.

Aaron Rogers is great. That's not the dispute. But I saw it last year, and I've seen it through his career. It takes him a while to trust young receivers. receivers. That's okay. Same with Brady, by the way, which is why New England struggled drafting receivers the last 10 years. If Tom didn't trust you, Tom wouldn't include you. But we like Tom more, right, because he wins all the rings. Aaron is a Hall of Famer. If he doesn't trust, he's not throwing it. And right now, you've got three rookies, one's hurt, Sammy Watkins

struggles to stay healthy. Lazzard may not play. Do you see any fissures in this? Give me a little prediction on what you think the receiver room is going to look like this year? I'm really surprised to see the Packers' favorite in this game. I mean, because exactly as you say, they're beat up at receiver. Lazard may not play, and you've got to trust a bunch of young guys, most of whom he's never played with before this spring. So, and look, I'm telling you, we've talked about this a little bit. Romeo Dobbs is going to turn out to be one of his favorite receivers.

I shouldn't say I'll guarantee you that, but I will be very surprised if he doesn't. This game, this week, Colin, this is an Aaron Jones, A.J. Dillon game. It has to be. And that's how they're going to have to win this game. Run the ball, throw short, try to keep the clock going, keep the ball away from that powerful offense on the other. their side. Yeah. You know, they're playing Minnesota, so you got Kevin O'Connell, they call him the tall Sean McVeigh. And I said this, I liked Mike Zimmer. I like Mike Zimmer. I think he's a good coach. But Pete Carroll struggled with Russell Wilson, defensive coach, Belichick at the end, struggle with Brady,

defensive coach, Zimmer struggled with Kirk Cousins, defensive coach. There is a sensibility that offensive coaches often have, I mean, God, Kyle Shanahan's balancing Tray Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. He's it fine. Some of these defensive guys, they can be a little gruff. And I think Kirk Cousins last year did not feel supported. And I do think it's worth, they lost a lot of close games, Peter. They were in more close games than anybody and lost more close one. And I'm not blaming Zimmer. I think he's a great coach. But I do feel like there's a new wave in the building. And it is, hey, we like you, we support you, we think you're a Pro Bowl quarterback. And I think Kirk Cousins is going to have his best year as a pro. That is my gut feeling today. Your thoughts? Yeah, well, it was very

interesting what you say, Colin. When I was in Green Bay this summer, Matt LaFleur told me he's changed in this regard that he doesn't really want his coaches kind of yelling slash abusing the players anymore. You know, as he told me, he said, I told him at the start of camp. If a guy makes a state, teach him, you know, don't berate him. You know, so, and that's how we're going to do it here. And I think that is the way of the NFL right now, quite honestly. Kevin O'Connell, listen, the day I spent in their camp, I did not hear one coach, even with a voice raised to the level of my voice right now.

It was all just one-on-one teaching. You know, and his coach on the defensive side, Ed Donatell, he's a classic old line NFL teacher. So I think that's the way of the future right now in the NFL. And Kevin O'Connell really has Kirk Cousins' attention. And that is a great little matchup, those two guys so far. I'm so jacked to watch Russell Wilson this year. I think it's going to be, I think he's the catalyst.

And I've been saying this, I think their roster reminds me a lot of Tampa, although better at corner is I think we looked at Tampa the first year with Tom about 10 weeks in and we went wow this is a great roster we just didn't pay attention to it I think Denver the corners they had Randy Gregory DJ Jones uh the receivers the young safety the young backs I think this roster is fantastic so I'm maybe I'm hyperbolic I think I think Denver could end up in the the AFC championship what say you yeah I didn't pick them to make the playoffs And as I wrote, I probably will live to regret that. It's just that division, you know, it's different than the division Brady walked into,

where there was one team in that division. Right. You know, and now the division that Russell Wilson walks into, you know, there's four teams, any of which could make a playoff run in January. And nobody should be surprised. So to me, Colin, it's the best division since the NFL went to 8-14 divisions 20 years ago. So I won't be surprised if Wilson plays well. I kind of laugh at this.

Oh, he's a declining player. I mean, Russell Wilson is not a declining player. I'll be very surprised if he doesn't play well. All right, 45 seconds to a minute. I want to buy into the Chargers. I have him sneaking into the playoffs, but they're special. teams in the preseason once again went off the rails. Where are you on the Chargers? I pick the Chargers to win the division. I just think they have answered and look, special

teams can be incendiary for any team. And so it's almost the unanswerable question before any season with any team. But I will say this. They answered their questions on the defensive line by signing three run players. They got another rusher in Khalil Mack. We'll see if he's still Khalil Mack. And J.C. Jackson, whenever he gets back from this ankle tweak,

he needs to be a shutdown corner. They've answered the questions they had at the end of last year, Colin. Now the guys who they got to answer the questions have got to answer the bell starting Sunday against the Raiders. All right. One game in the books.

Bills take over the game in the second half, Hammer the Rams, Peter King, NBCSports.com. Good morning, football morning in America. Peter, you look great. Thanks again, and we'll talk soon. Thanks a lot, Colin. Have a great weekend. Yeah, that's an incredible. So I know people in the Chargers. I love the Chargers. I'm probably closer to the Chargers than I am the Rams. And I, when you really, really love something, you don't want to go all in because you don't want to get burned. and I watch, and the Chargers are really,

people in the NFL that I talk to like the Chargers roster more than the Rams. Better O-line, deeper wide-receiving core now. I mean, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are two ones. Quarterback?

I think Herbert is better than Stafford. Yeah, better quarterback. Austin Eckler's a better running back. You can argue now, two rush ends. Von Miller's gone for the Rams. Better left tackle, better left tackle, better at safety. So it's... J.C. Jackson is...

I mean, Jalen Ramsey got torched last night. Have you? How much time we're going to spend on that today? You got lit up, Colin. My prediction is Jalen Ramsey, when his contract ends, he'll be gone. You get... He gets torched. He's got a little Trayvon Diggs. He's great, but man, does he get torched and badly? All right.

Think about your happy place. Sof on Games Day. Golf course in a Saturday morning, wherever it is, fishing boat. wherever your happy place is. Driveway.com let you buy or sell a car from there. Driveway.com. Blazing 5 next. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy,

not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for, for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping

the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Cliver Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. On The Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. It was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.